1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems for maintaining the security of information transmitted between facsimile machines.
2. State of the Art
It is well known to use ciphering procedures for protecting the security of confidential information. In conventional ciphering systems, a dedicated algorithm--usually a rather complicated formula--is employed for transmitting complete messages in encrypted or "scrambled" form. Further in such systems, an intended receiver employs a "key algorithm" for deciphering the scrambled messages. If a receiver does not have the key algorithm, the receiver either cannot receive information or it receives the information in a meaningless scrambled form.
Although encryption procedures have the benefit of increasing the security with which information can be transmitted, those procedures decrease transmission efficiency and speed. The penalty in terms of transmission speed usually is referred to as "overhead." In practice, overhead can create substantial transmission costs.